Agri Goa-2019 opens in Margao

11 Jan 201906:29am IST

11 Jan 201906:29am IST

Report byTeam Herald

Going organic is a symbol of progress, says Minister Vijai

MARGAO: The International Agriculture Equipment and Food Technology trade fair named “Agri Goa-2019” opened in Ravindra Bhavan on Thursday. The four-day event was inaugurated by Agriculture Minister Vijai Sardesai.

Addressing the media, Sardesai said that Goans, especially people of Salcete, have to take up agriculture. “The Government wants to bring self-sufficiency to Goa and to become sustainable. We are focusing on quantity and not quality. Going organic is a symbol of the progressive State. The Goa government has allotted 500 organic clusters in Goa,” he said.

Sardesai said that the short term goal of the government is to bring barren land under cultivation; to promote mechanized agriculture and organic farming, and to keep Goa green.

“We also want to create brand Goa,” said Sardesai. He announced that the Goa government will sign a Memorandum of Understanding with a Dutch-based company to create a special variety of ‘Goa Orchid’ which will resemble National Flag. He said that they have tied up with an Israeli company called Green 2000 to create a Center of Excellence for organic farming in Goa.

“We are working with a private company to create cold storage chains. We want to support cold storage chain but now we are not having the time”, said Sardesai said adding that the government is facing a paralysis of decision making due to the code of conduct of the forthcoming elections.